Botulinum Toxin has been considered one of the most deadly biological substances known to man, yet millions of people voluntarily have it injected into their bodies for medical and cosmetic reasons. However, it hasn’t always been used in the medical industry. Botulinum Toxin is a naturally occurring poison created by the Clostridium botulinum bacteria that acts as a neurotoxin that blocks the signals sent from the brain causing a temporary muscle paralysis. Since Botulinum Toxin is so deadly and easy to make, it has caught the eyes of many people that wish to use it as a biological weapon. There are seven different types of Botulinum Toxin; A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. However, not all of them are threats to the human race. Types A, …show more content…
The production of biological weapons was so out of control and dangerous, in 1972 the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention opened a treaty banning the stockpiling and production of biological weapons. However, not everyone in the world likes to follow the rules. Iraq continued to develop and refine their production process to a point where they were able to load thousands of liters of concentrated toxin into long-range missiles and various types of munitions. Not only did they have enough for all of their weapons, they even had several thousand extra liters that have yet to be accounted for. Botulinum Toxin is so deadly that if you were to have just one gram of it evenly dispersed, you would have enough poison to kill over 1 million people. Even though Botulinum Toxin is so incredibly deadly and ideal for biological warfare, there have not been that many attacks involving it. The reason for this is because it is difficult to control, keep alive, and successfully disperse. Some of the biggest problems with biological agents is that they are very temperamental. If it is too hot, they will be incinerated. If it is too cold, they will freeze to death. Not only is Botulinum Toxin effected by the temperature, but the wind, rain, and humidity all have the ability to degrade its destructive power. Since it has to rely on the wind to move and
In the 19th century Tetanus was the concern of Joseph Lister in patients who had the disease in the hospital. A. Carle, G. Rattone, A. Nicolaire, and others recognized the Infectious nature of Tetanus in 1884 – 1888. The isolation of the bacteria and its toxin happened in 1889-1892 by S. Kitasato, T Weyl, and A. Nicolaire. S. Kitasato, L. Villiard, E. von Behring, and W. Schutz did animal experiments on both active and passive immunization in 1890 – 1892. Crystallization of the neurotoxin happened in 1949, because of L.
Botulism is a neuroparalytic disorder characterized by the appearance of a descending flaccid paralysis produced by Clostridium botulinum toxin. The causal agent of this disease is a gram-positive anaerobic bacillus survives in soil and marine sediments through the formation of vegetative spores. Clostridium botulinum spores germinate favored by certain environmental conditions. The bacillus, during growth and autolysis releases a potent neurotoxin responsible for the symptoms of the disease. There are 7 types of toxin designated A through G. The toxin is absorbed from the intestinal tract and into systemic circulation to reach neuromuscular endings. At this level it binds to receptors on nerve endings
...nited States keeps a stockpile of botulism antitoxin that can be delivered in mass quantities in less than twelve hours (Taillac, & Kim, 2010). Botulism is an emerging infectious disease that should be taken very seriously.
The two chemical weapons that were used were: nerve agent and mustard gas. Nerve agent has two main classes that are Class G and Class V. Class V is more new, however less fatal. The specific nerve agent used by the Iraqis is Cyclosarin. Cyclosarin is an extremely toxic substance used as a chemical weapon, which is a member of Class G. Cyclosarin is the most dangerous gas out of both classes. It is known to have a sweet smell and is also flammable unlike other nerve gases. Mustard gas on the other hand is yellow and smells like garlic. Both gases cause death in minutes and have long lasting effects. These can include diseases and other horrible problems. Many of these diseases cannot be cured, for the cells have been damaged and cannot be repaired.
“Johns Hopkins Working Group on Civilian Biodefense Says Botulinum Toxin is a Major Biological Weapons Threat.” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Johns Hopkins University, 28 Feb. 2001. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
"Federation of American Scientists :: Types of Chemical Weapons." Federation of American Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010.
Pita, R. (2009). Toxin weapons: From World War I to jihadi terrorism. Toxin Reviews, 28(4), 219-237. doi:10.3109/1556950903246136
Botulism toxin, known for the most toxic substance in the biological world, has been used throughout history as a biological weapon. The bacteria Clostridium botulinum causes botulism causes botulism disease, which is a serious paralytic illness that strikes all age groups. The clinical forms of botulism include foodborne botulism, infant botulism, and wound botulism. Botulism, if left untreated, is fatal; however, even treatment with antiserum can not provide full recovery.
Clostridium botulinum has a rich history dating back to 19th century Europe where it first contaminated sausages, causing outbreaks of foodborne botulism. (1-3) In fact, the term botulism is derived from the Latin term botulus, meaning sausage. (1,3) Microbiologist Emile Pierre Marie van Ermengem first described the etiologic agent in 1897, (1-3) following isolation of the anaerobic bacillus from ham and splenic tissue obtained upon autopsy. (2,3) Although first referred to as Bacillus botulinus, it was eventually renamed Clostridium botulinum to distinguish it from the aerobic spore-forming genus Bacillus. (2) Importantly, the presence of a toxin was noted at this time, as cell-free extracts were capable of causing disease. (1,2) By 1943 and 1976, wound botulism and infant botulism were also respectively described. (1)
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has categorized the types of most commonly used chemical agents. The CDC also acts as an informational pool for the civilian population to understand the effects, symptoms and treatment of each chemical agent. The CDC categorized chemical agents under the following categories or types: biotoxins, blister agents/vesicants, blood agents, caustics (Acids), choking/lung/pulmonary agents, incapacitating agents, long-acting anticoagulants, metals, nerve agents, organic solvents, riot control agents/tear gas, toxic alcohols, and vomiting agents (CDC,...
There is many different types of pesticides today. They major classes range anywhere from Acaricide, which targets; mites, ticks, and spiders to Synergist Which improves the performance of another pesticide. Here are the major classes of pesticides:
So, what is Botox? Botox is the market name for type A botulinum toxin which is a purified form of the toxin produced by the bacteria, clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is commonly associated with food poisoning and is lethal in large doses. The botulism toxin could paralyze vital muscles needed for breathing. Although related to botulism food poisoning, the amounts of Botox given are so minimal and localized, that the toxin will not spread to any other muscles in the body, thus making it a safe and harmless procedure. When used cosmetically, tiny amo...
Since the beginning of civilization, poisons have been used for assassination purposes. The foundation of microbiology allowed those who were interested in biological weapons, to chose and design different biological agents. The potential dangers of these agents were soon recognized and resulted in two international declarations that prohibited the use of poisoned weapons. These treaties, however, contained no means of control and therefore, interested parties were developing and using biological weapons that we can see illustrated by the German army in the First World War. The German army was the first to use biological and chemical weapons, attempting to infect animals directly and to contaminate animal feed in their enemies’ co...
“Botox is a neurotoxin derived from Clostridium botulinum, an organism found in the natural environment where it is largely inactive and non-toxic” (Nichols). It temporarily paralyzes the muscles. Clostridium botulinum can be found in the forest and cultivated soils, and in the sediments of lakes, streams and untreated waters. The bacteria can be found also in the intestines of mammals and fish. It can also be found in the organs of crabs and other shellfish. This
Pita, R. (2009). Toxin weapons: From World War I to jihadi terrorism. Toxin Reviews, 28(4), 219-237. doi:10.3109/1556950903246136